Like I said in my previous post (here), they brought out all the Limited Edition Collections of the past year (Fashion Show Collection – Angel Collection – Disco Nights Collection, etc…) and knocked them down to half price, whereas the Signature Collection (permanent and can be purchased at any time from any branch) in the old-school packaging (Love Spell – Pure Seduction – Aqua Kiss, etc…) as well as all the newer collections (Cozy Collection – Midnight Blooms Collection – Star Struck Collection, etc…) retailed for KD 7 (full price) but were included in a “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” promo.

I ended up getting 2 from the Signature Collection (plain packaging) for KD 7each, qualifying me for a third one, either from the Signature Collection or any of the newer collections (for free) so I chose Jasmine Noir (newer collection). The other 3 (Afterparty Angel – Glitter Hustle – Shot of Coconut) were not included in the “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” promo, since they were from older collections, but they had all been reduced to only KD 3/500each. As you can see from the plain packaging, the first two (Rush + Velvet Petals) were from Signature Collection (permanent), whereas the rest were all Limited Edition.

I had a wonderful time sniffing and playing around with all those Fragrance Mists! I could’ve stayed there forever! Best of all, the sales assistants left me alone (to play in peace), for the most part, because they were so busy with other customers!

These were KD 7each but there was a “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” promo on them.

I was instantly smitten with Rush! However, I was surprised to find that Rush and all the other Fragrance Mists in the Signature Collection/Classic Collection (plain packaging) were not on sale, despite being old (read: “classic”) and permanently available for purchase. However, there was a “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” promo on them. I figured I’d get more bang for my buck if I got a second one (making the third one free) so I gave most of the Fragrance Mists included in the promo (Classic Collection + New Collections) a sniff. The dry-down on Velvet Petals was very pleasant, so, I hurriedly snatched it up to purchase as well, qualifying me for a free Fragrance Mist.

Unfortunately, the rest of the Signature/Classic Collection was either too fruity or floral for my taste, whereas the Star Struck Collection although beautiful (the packaging had a cosmic theme; moon, stars, shooting stars, clouds, etc…) had several irritating musky notes in there, while the newer Beach-y Collections all had some form of Peach in them (blech), and the new Midnight Blooms Collection was straight up floral. I just couldn’t make up my mind. So, I decided to leave that decision for later, and moved on to selecting Fragrance Mists that were on sale (half off).

I put it off for so long, that it was already past closing time, and the sales assistants were starting to herd urge the other customers towards the cash register (to pay and leave). Since I’d already gotten all the scents that I typically enjoy, I decided to go with something different (spur of the moment decision) from the newer collections, and went with Jasmine Noir (from the Midnight Blooms Collection).

Basically, instead of paying KD 21 for all three (Rush – Velvet Petals – Jasmine Noir), I only ended up paying KD 14.

Victoria’s Secret Rush Fragrance Mist (Signature Collection)

Juicy Clementine. Crystal Amber.

Very similar to my favoriteFine Fragrance Mist scent from Bath & Body Works called Tokyo Lotus & Apple Blossom (haulage here) and despite not having any “tropical” notes also gives me Reb’l Fleur by Rihanna Eau de Parfum “tropical vibes” (haulage here)! Reb’l Fleur is way more floral and Tokyo Lotus & Apple Blossom is infinitely more superior than either of the two, but Rush was still pretty great! In fact, it was pretty much the main catalyst for this entire haul!

The bottle came in plain packaging (Signature/Classics Collection) and didn’t have any notes listed on the back. However, it was a pretty shade of blue, and in any case, it was the scent that counts, and Rush smelled beautiful! The notes of “Juicy Clementine” made it smell all citrus-y and uplifting, while the “Crystal Amber” made it smell sexy-sweet! I love that particular combination (fresh, fruity, uplifting, sexy), in Tokyo Lotus & Apple Blossom and Reb’l Fleur and now, Rush!

The scent was a bit weak and didn’t last as long (literally gone in under 20 mins) and every third time I wore this thing, all I got was straight-up alcohol (which is something I’ve noticed with most “cheap-y” fragrances, such as the ones from Zara and Bath & Body Works as well as Victoria’s Secret) so I wouldn’t recommend it for formal events or anything like that. However, for your day-to-day life or laid-back events, or whenever you were in a rush (sorry, heehee, I had to) wearing Rush would definitely put a smile on your face! I only wish it was stronger and lasted longer. Other than that, Rush was lovely!

Rush just smells so fresh and clean but also sweet and sexy! From the first sniff, I had an instant crush on Rush (heehee)!

Edit: Sadly, I think I got an expired one, because Rush just smells like straight-up alcohol now. Such a shame because it truly was a lovely scent :(

Victoria’s Secret Velvet Petals Fragrance Mist (Signature Collection)

Sweet Almond Glaze. Creamy Sandalwood. Made you blush.

I was hesitant to give Velvet Petals a sniff purely based on the fact that it had the word petals in the name, (leading me to believe it might be a floral, blech). However, after giving most of the “best-sellers” (that were touted as tried and true favorites by… well… the entire world) in the Signature Collection a sniff and being disappointed by how young and fruity (read: cheap) they smelled, finally decided to give Velvet Petals a sniff too. As you can see, it totally won me over (I mean, I did end up buying it)!

It came in the plain packaging (as most of the permanent Fragrance Mists in the Signature/Classic Collection do) and didn’t have the notes listed on it. I’m actually happy it didn’t have the notes listed, because had I noticed Almond written anywhere on the thing, I never would’ve given it a chance (still traumatized by Elie Saab – Girl of Now (Shine) Eau de Parfum). The liquid was a cute blush shade that reflected this delicate scent perfectly (and what a delicate scent it was)!

I could detect some sweetness (which looking at the notes now, was clearly the “Sweet Almond Glaze”) and after some time, something glorious (which looking at the notes now, was clearly the “Creamy Sandalwood”). Although I might not be able to name it on the spot, I actually have a soft spot for Sandalwood (very, very partial to it) and in hindsight, it’s obviously the reason I decided to purchase this baby! I’d classify Velvet Petals as a gourmand… for adults. Despite being sweet, it’s never loud nor obnoxious. It doesn’t smell like an entire bakery, as much as it smells like a single baked confectionery, and even then, not something blatantly sweet like a cupcake. More like a cookie… one lone cookie… one lone Almond-Glazed Cookie, rather.

As I keep reiterating, Velvet Petals was a delicate scent. In fact, it sorta’ reminded me of Creme D’Nude Eau de Parfum (haulage here), except after comparing both fragrances to each other, Creme D’Nude was a bit more complex and sophisticated and kept developing the longer it stayed on your skin, while Velvet Petals was less complex (basic lol) and only got sweeter with time. They were both very, very light and very, very delicate “musky” scents, but Creme D’Nude was more soap-y whereas Velvet Petals was more sandalwood-y.

I believe Velvet Petals would be lovely on sun-warmed skin (after a day of swimming) or right after a shower, as the heat would make it smell even sweeter! It’s light and inoffensive enough for enclosed spaces and I’ve personally started wearing it to bed! Like I said earlier, Velvet Petals is a gourmand, for grown-ups ♥

The Midnight Blooms Collection was released in 2018 and consisted of “night-blooming florals” including Jasmine Noir (as shown) and Dark Peony (Purple Peony and Musk) and Moonlit Dahlia (Black Dahlia and Plum) and Midnight Fleur (Vanilla Blossom and Starfruit). I don’t believe I even saw Midnight Fleur (maybe they didn’t bring it over to Kuwait?), but despite my aversion to florals and botanical themes, the Midnight Blooms Collectiondid look pretty enticing, especially all lined up next to each other like that! Unfortunately, none of them actually had the notes listed. After giving all three of the available scents a sniff, I walked away, but came back just after closing time, and made a last minute decision to go with Jasmine Noir.

Total regret. I knew it was a floral collection, and I knew it wasn’t my thing (I mean, the collection was straight up called Midnight Blooms) and yet somehow I still decided to pick something up from this collection. First of all, it’s really strong to the extent that it induces headaches (which further confirms my suspicions that notes of Red Apple in fragrances and/or candles tend to give me a headache, unfortunately). Second of all, it was too floral (albeit a fruity floral as the Red Apple was very prominent) for my taste. I’m not even going to attempt wearing this in the Summer. It’s definitely a Winter fragrance for me, and even then, that’s still debatable.

Jasmine Noir was a fruity-floral that was equal parts Jasmine (in full bloom) and juicy Red Apples. It was a bit too loud and overwhelming for my taste. Basically, I was seduced by the dark names and dark packaging and got all caught up in the idea of wearing a “night-blooming floral” and the romance of it all. Like I said, total regret.

These were reduced from KD 7/500 to KD 3/500each

These were from the older collections and as such, were on sale. They had tons and tons… and tons… and tons to choose from. It was all a bit overwhelming honestly, but I had sooo much fun choosing! All the different themes, from all the different collections, was simply a delight to just look at! Not to mention all the glorious scents! Honestly, I would’ve happily spent the night there!

The Fashion Show Collection was also released in 2018 and consisted of Afterparty Angel (as shown) and Backstage Angel (Pink Sugar. Citrus Rush. Spotlight Ready.) and Showtime Angel (Glittering Blooms. Sheer Musk. Get Your Wings.) and Runaway Angel (Bright Currant. Shimmering Petals. Blowing Kisses.) Not gonna’ lie, the Fashion Show Collection also had really fun packaging… bit busy, bit juvenile, but between all the sparkles and bling and graffiti-esque designs, oh-so-fun! I didn’t mind as much because the one I chose was Black (so cool)! They helpfully had the notes listed on the back too!

I couldn’t decide between Backstage Angel and Afterparty Angel, both of which had different kinds of sweetness to them. However, I was worried that Backstage Angel might be a bit too juvenile for me (as I’m getting older, I’m starting to find certain fruity scents and certain gourmands annoying) and therefore went with the Afterparty Angel. After coming across the fact (over and over again) that Marc Jacobs – Decadence(sampled here) included Plum in the top notes, and noticing that Afterparty Angelalso included Plum, I had to get it. Also, it just smelled so good!

Back home, I spritzed it on, no more than twice, before going to bed. The smell was so strong, it actually woke me up! I tried turning my t-shirt around, and even then, it was still nauseating! It ended up waking me, again, but this time I actually took my t-shirt off and tossed it as far away as possible, before going back to sleep! The Amber in this thing is most definitely the culprit. Sure, it can smell “sexy” at times, but dang, it can also smell straight-up suffocating! Like, what happened to VS Fragrance Mists supposedly being all weak? Between Jasmine Noir and Afterparty Angel, my olfactory senses were suffering lol

Despite all that, I kinda’ don’t hate Afterparty Angel (unlike Jasmine Noir, which I flat-out hate). In fact, there’s something about it that I find strangely appealing (I’m quickly realizing that I have a love/hate relationship with Amber…) I’m still too traumatized to go anywhere near it, after that first and last time (when I wore it to bed), but I’ll definitely be pulling it out again (during the dead of Winter, when it’s too cold to actually smell anything lol) and giving it a second shot! Out of all of the Fragrance Mists I got in this haul, Afterparty Angel was the most perfume-y of them, in the sense that while rest smelled like Body Sprays, this one smelled like it could pass for an actual Perfume, and an expensive one at that!

I might be wrong (after all, I just started my “Fragrance Journey” lol), but I believe Plum might possibly be the offensive and polarizing note. It’s not for everyone, I suppose. Maybe it’s an acquired taste? All in all, Afterparty Angelis a bit much, but I feel like I might (kinda’, sorta’, maybe) be able to make it work, if I spritz a scent cloud above me and walk into it, therefore letting the scent “lightly” mist me… as opposed to having the scent concentrated in a certain area (pulse points) and then slowly suffocating to death.

I can see totally see the vibe they were going with for Afterparty Angel (I mean, it pretty much says it all in the name lol). It’s a very, very, very heady “clubbing” fragrance, with an intoxicating dose of sexy Amber to boot! I believe it takes a certain kind of woman (a confidant woman… or maybe a Stripper… or maybe a confident Stripper… I don’t know where I’m going with this, ok) to wear Afterparty Angel!

The Disco Nights Collection was also released in 2018 and consisted of Glitter Hustle (as shown) and You Should Be Dancing (Radiant Petals. Coconut Bloom. Flashing Lights) and Sequin Nights (Sparking Pomegranate. Sultry Woods. Party Queen.) and Dim All The Lights (Peony Sparks. Bare Musk. After Hours.) all of which had strategically placed stickers that from the front, played up to the whole Disco-Vibe Aesthetic, but from the back, was plain black and had all the notes listed! You can kinda’ see what I mean in the photo. The bottle is actually clear, but the sticker on the back is making it look all retro, but if I flip it around, you’ll see that the sticker is actually just plain black, from the back. So creative!

First of all, the name, Glitter Hustle, is so cute, I die! Second, the packaging is somewhat discreet (no bling or glitter and bright colors and such) making it ideal for inconspicuous on-the-go applications (work, gym, wherever else). It didn’t look as juvenile as some of the others and despite my aversion to Gold, actually came across as a bit chic! Third and most important of all, Glitter Hustle not only smelled divine, but was pretty much a dupe of my all-time fave Vanilla scent from the B&BW Limited Edition Holiday Collection called Vanilla Bean Noel (which I pretty much hoard every year, except last year)! In fact, I’d even go as far as saying that Glitter Hustle smelled even better than Vanilla Bean Noel!

I could see myself using this baby during Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall (I mean, we basically experience 2.5 months of Winter starting from the end of December, while the rest of the year is pretty much Summer, but just roll with it). There is no occasion where I don’t see this scent working, unless it’s an ultra-formal event (like a wedding, for example). Ever since I’ve purchased this baby, I’ve been wearing it non-stop and people go crazy over it! Men, Women, Children, Bees! It’s a hit with all of them! lol Honestly, I could not be happier with Glitter Hustle! I mean, the other scents are nice and all, but Glitter Hustle is next level ah-maze!

After all those new scents (new to me), I wanted something that was in my comfort zone… something familiar… something I would like on the spot… something that smelled like Coconuts! Between Shot of Coconut (as shown) and Coconut Passion (spotted here) and all the other “coconut-y” scents they had in-store, Shot of Coconut fit the bill!

The Coconut Water made it smell like my beloved Coco Mojo Pure Coconut Water (haulage here) and the Fig made it smell all aromatic (almost… cloudy, but in a good way) and sweet! It kinda’ reminds me of Herbal Essences Coconut Water Shampoo & Conditioner (haulage here) or one of the coconut-y scents from Bath & Body Works, possibly one of the Candles, but I can’t quite place it at the moment.

In any case, Shot of Coconut smelled like Sweet Coconuts and I quite like it! It goes without saying, but Shot of Coconut would be perfect for a day at the beach or pool, or any other equally Summer-y activity!

The clothes and accessories were on sale too but I wasn’t in the mood to try anything on. Even the adjacent room where they displayed all the Victoria’s Secret – Pink range, was mostly on sale. Again, none of this was being promoted… anywhere (not. a. peep.)… I’m sure people (myself included) would love to know about these flash sales, beforehand. Not stumble upon them, randomly.

Aside from Fragrance Mists, I ended up getting a few “Skincare” products. Apparently, they’d released a Coffee Shop Collection (for the Pink line)! What’s more is that a lot of those products included caffeine in them! Based on the adorable theme (from the packaging to the delightful names), I just assumed that they’d all smell like coffee lol (which turned out to be not true).

I just knew this baby was going to be mine and even said so when I first spotted it, about a couple of months ago (here)!

Since it looks very similar to the Mineral Body Polish from the Water Collection at B&BW (haulage here), I’ll compare them to each other. Unlike that one, which can be tricky to unscrew the lid off with wet hands while in the shower, this one had a flip-top lid which was super helpful! The Mineral Body Polish was an actual exfoliator (complete with all the itty bitty scrubby bits) whereas the Sea Salt Scrub was so lotion-y, it felt more like a Body Conditioner (like the Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner from Lush).

The Sea Salt Scrub also had pretty strange texture! It was definitely a solid but also almost bouncy, reminding me of the Peppermint Reviving Pumice Foot Scrub from The Body Shop (haulage here), except this one was way less gritty. Heck, it was so creamy, that it wasn’t even gritty at all, which was a similar problem I’d faced with the reformulated version of the St Ives Purifying Sea Salt Exfoliating Body Wash (haulage here).

It even smelled differently than what I was expecting. Where the Mineral Body Polish had a pleasant “Cucumber” scent (still smells like true-to-life Watermelon Juice but ok, “Cucumber”), the Sea Salt Scrub had a faint fresh and fruity smell, like Shampoo (old-school Herbal Essences) which I kinda’ don’t hate.

All in all, if you’re expecting this Sea Salt Scrub to actually exfoliate your skin, you’re setting yourself up for some disappointment. However, if you think of it as a Body Conditioner like the Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion (haulage here) or Lush Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner (haulage here), you’ll definitely be pleased by the results of the Victoria’s Secret Sea Salt Scrub because despite everything, it really does soften and moisturize the skin!

How could I not? I mean, they literally looked like Sugar Cubes or better yet, Salt Water Taffy! Even the clear plastic jar with the black lid looked pretty cute and could totally be re-purposed for storing Makeup Brushes with longer handles or whatever. Supposedly, these babies smell like sugar but I could almost swear they smell like one of my pseudo-coffee drinks (here). Either way, I adore the smell! It’s exactly what I was hoping for from the Coffee Shop Collection!

That said, as exfoliators these little cubes were veritably useless! lol For starters, forget about opening one up in the shower (with wet hands) because I’ve already tried and it just cannot be done. It was next to impossible! You had to tear open the wrapper, beforehand (not a big deal, but not the most convenient either). Second, although the cube itself was sufficiently gritty, it felt smooth and creamy against my skin, meaning you could forget about exfoliating anything with it. Even had it been gritty and abrasive on my skin, it was still pretty tiny, meaning it’d take a year to run it across your entire body! It just wasn’t practical.

As for the pros, other than smelling delightful, it lathered up beautifully and yet somehow, for such a tiny lil thing, and for such a frothy lil thing, one cube actually lasted forever! So, essentially if you choose to designate these babies solely for your hands, you’re looking at a year’s supply (minimum) right there! Again, the same issue still stands; they’re so small that even just running them across your hands can take forever, but they lather up nicely and smell really good. Fair trade, no?

As a novelty item, I’m glad I got them (just to play around with) but I definitely wouldn’t repurchase them ‘cuz although ridiculously cute, they’re just not practical. You feel me?

I went back, about a week or so, during the actualsemi-annual sale (which was advertised everywhere), but all they had were about 3 or 4 collections (and even then, mostly all the duds that didn’t sell well). All of them were stinky florals. Gone was the huuuge variety you partially saw (there was way, way, way more) on display earlier (here) -_-

I’m so glad I didn’t wait for the “semi-annual sale” and got everything I wanted at the time (shown in this haul), because otherwise, I would’ve been miiiffed.

Final Thoughts

Since Rush and Velvet Petals are permanent (as far as I can tell), do give them a sniff. You might like ’em! Unfortunately, since the rest were limited edition, they won’t be as easy to track, but if you do happen to spot Glitter Hustle, just go ahead and buy it (trust)!